NCT’s Japan stadium tour ends, satisfies 220,000 fans

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Tue, September 26, 2023 | 05:02

K-pop

NCT’s Japan stadium tour ends, satisfies 220,000 fans

Posted : 2023-09-18 16:02

Updated : 2023-09-18 18:04

K-pop boy band NCT performs onstage during their NCT STADIUM LIVE NCT NATION: To The World-in-JAPAN concert, Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo, Saturday. Courtesy of SM Entertainment

By Pyo Kyung-min

K-pop sensation NCT wrapped up their 2023 Japan tour with a grand finale at Tokyo's Ajinomoto Stadium on Sept. 16-17.

Their NCT STADIUM LIVE NCT NATION: To The World-in-JAPAN tour also included sold-out performances at Nagai Stadium in Osaka on Sept. 9-10. In total, the tour drew an audience of 220,000 enthusiastic fans across both venues, selling every available ticket.

The Tokyo concert featured a dynamic setlist, opening with hits like "The 7th Sense," "Take Off," and "BOOM," and continued with a repertoire of some 40 songs, including crowd favorites like "Black on Black," "Baggy Jeans," "The BAT," and "Golden Age," resulting in a four-hour spectacle.

NCT NEW TEAM, the final sub-unit of the multinational K-pop boy group, also drew enthusiastic responses from the audience while staging the group’s pre-debut release "Hands Up."

Some 220,000 fans wave the group's official light sticks in the air while they watch NCT perform in Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo, Saturday. Courtesy of SM Entertainment.

Concluding their performance, NCT expressed their gratitude, saying, "It was a monumental dream for us to take the stage at a Japanese stadium, and the fact that our dream has now become a reality is both surreal and deeply meaningful. We are overjoyed to have wrapped up this journey with such success."

The group further shared their aspirations, stating, "Our hope is to perform in even larger stadiums in the future and to present even more remarkable performances. We eagerly await the opportunity to reunite with our fans."

Kang Byung-joon, the general director of NEO Productions, the producer behind NCT, reflected on the tour's significance, saying, "This tour provided a platform to showcase NCT's unique identity and charms to a wider audience. We remain dedicated to supporting and guiding NCT towards even greater achievements in the future."

NCT is a pioneering K-pop boy group known for its concept of a large number of members and multiple sub-units. Since their 2016 debut, the group achieved success through its futuristic music styles and global concerts, firmly establishing their presence in the entertainment landscape.

NCT Dream, sub-unit of K-pop act NCT, performs during their Japan tour at Ajinomoto Stadium, Tokyo, Saturday. Courtesy of SM Entertainment

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